It's working for Kerry L.
Maryland
2 children
“I wasn't ready to go back with my 2nd; I was with my 1st. But you do the best you can!”
What is one piece of advice you wish you could offer your former expectant self?
It will all work out. All the unknowns will get figured out, so try not to stress out about things you can’t control.
What was your primary motivation for deciding to return (or not) to work? How early did you tell your employer?
After the 3 month mark. I told my boss in person. I thought telling her face-to-face was the right thing to do.
How much leave did you take, and how comfortable were you taking it?
Three months–the maximum allotted by my job. For my first child, I actually was able to have my summer vacation along with my leave, so I had 5 months of maternity leave with her. But technically it was 3 months of leave for both girls. For my first child, I really appreciated the 5 months. If it was 3 months, I would not have been ready. Four months is really the perfect amount of time for me, so I wasn’t ready to go back with my 2nd; I was with my 1st. But you do the best you can!
Who was your biggest source of support in returning to work? What was your biggest pregnancy indulgence?
Grandparents! They helped so much in terms of watching the girls after work so I could try to catch up on life–and sleep!
Fill in the blanks: As a working parent, I never expected ____ would be so hard and ____ would be so much easier!
As a working parent, I never expected getting out the door in the morning with the kids would be so hard and leaving work at the end of the day would be so much easier.